Range



W. H. FRICK March 30, 1937.

RANGE Filed May 8, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet l gmc/rm .Q @W Nw .Q% Nw A w Nw W Nm@ m mf @d \Nm W www W ww v Nw @QQ eww .w w@ @ma m Am. N WNS QW N ww w ,Q r wm um, m w ww. m QU 4 NQ 1 Q Q ww QN N% kN 5%@ Q .W QN ms N %N .WM N \w @u L m m1 59% QN .NWMNRNW Q wwu W @WN'NN m.,

Mardi 30, 1937. W H, FRlCK 2,075,108

RANGE Filed May 8, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 3o, 1937. W. H. FR'CK 2,075,108

RANGE Filed May 8, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 @ttm/mm, 5

March 30, 1937. w. H. FRlcK Y RANGE Filed May 8, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Mar. 30, 1937 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE A RANGE poration of New Jersey Application May 8, 1935, Serial No. 20,466

7 Claims.

v as are used in hotels, restaurants, or the like.

Heavy duty ranges are ordinarily ranges having a vsolid cooking top rather than a vgrid top, andthe present invention has as one of its o bjects an improvement in the cooking top struc- 10 ture which enables the top to be madev of a. lighter weight material which is-of advantage as it provides a top which can be more quickly heated.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a range of the type described wherein the under side of the cooking top is constructed to provide what might be termed top ues which cause a more even distribution of the heat to all areas of the cooking top surface.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a tray arrangement which acts as a catch and retainer for any boil-overs or foreign substance which maypass downwardly through the cooking top and' also serves as a medium for properly distributing the secondary air for the heating burners.

Another and still further object of the invention is the provision of a burner housing within the regular combustion chamber beneath the cooking top together with a novel and improved manner of introducing secondary air to this independent burner chamber.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a solid top cooking range in which the burner chamber and space beneath the cooking top is fully insulated, that is, the walls defining the chamber are double wallsin spaced parallelv relationship and the space between them is iilled with an insulating material. The result of'this construction is that the range is more eiilcient through obtaining a greater cooking eiiiciency upon the solid cooking top'and vat the same time the insulation of the cooking top chamber space from the oven permits the use of a thermostatic heat regulator in the oven. It will be understood that by insulating the cooking top chamber from the oven the heat within the cooking top chamber will not affect the oven. Ordinarily the thermostatic control member for controlling the heat in the oven is located in the top of the oven and were it not for insulating the cooking top chamber from the oven the heat within this chamber would affect the oven regulator thermostat to such a degree as to prevent correct automatic l control of the temperature within'the oven. It 55 has been found that where the cooking top and on the line 3 3 of Figure 1 looking downward its chamber are superposed upon the oven as in the present construction, and where the oven regulator is in the oven top that the heat of the cooking top chamber will ailect this regulator to such a degree that it will cause the regulator 5 to cut off the fuel delivery to the oven burner prematurely by reason of the fact that the heat in the top of the oven will reach the degree to which the oven temperature is set while the temperature in the center and bottom portion 10 of the oven is as much as 100 less than the temperature at which the regulator is set to act.

Another and still further object of the invention is the provision of refractory material of radiants within the combustion chamber which 15 add to the emciency of the range.

AV still further object of the invention is the provision of a housing, insulated from the combustion chamber and serving as a part of the secondary air inlet conduit and within which is positioned the gas supply manifold and the gas control valves for the burners. This construction and arrangement assures that the valves will be maintained at a comparatively low temperature which is of material importance in the upkeep of the valves and assures that they will properly operate at all times. Y

From the foregoing objects it will be apparent that one of the main objects of the invention is that of providing a range having a hig'h degree of efficiency in that there is assured an even distribution of heat to the entire cooking top or surface which surface is capable of Vbeing heated quickly by reason of the Afact that it is made of a light weight of material.

The foregoing enumerated objects "will also make it clear that the burner tray arrangement in addition to serving the purposes before enumerated also acts as a protection to the burners against dirt or foreign substance.

Further and additional specic objects, novel features of construction and improved results will appear in more detail from the following dev scription when read in thelight of the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional'view through a range embodying the improved invention, the section being taken from the front towards the back of the range. 50

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken at right v angles to Figure 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken as indicated by arrow in Figure 1.

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the removable plates of the cooking top.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 1 looking in the direction 5 indicated by arrows.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken from the front towards `the rear of the cooking top of a modified form of the invention.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary top plan view of the 10 cooking top appearing in Fig. 6 of the drawings, a portion of the gure being broken away to better illustrate the construction.

The range illustrated in the drawings is of the heavy duty type by which is meant a range such as is used in hotels, restaurants or the like, and is provided with an insulated oven 65 the door for which appears at 86. Superimposed upon the oven is the combustion chamber I4 within which are positioned the two concentrically arranged yet separate and distinct circular burners' 3 and 3a. These burners are positioned within an open ended circular housing 68 within the main combustion chamber. The wall 68 of this chamber rests -upon the combustion chamber bottom 8 which bottom incidentally constitutes also `the top of the oven I5.` The front 18 of the chamber 88 isv provided with openings 1I through which pass the mixing tubes 3| and 3Ia of the burners. These openings como municate with a secondary'air'inlet ue I5 which is dened by the side walls 82 andv63, a top 84 and the bottom 6 of the combustion chamber.

At its vfront end this ilue passageway comr municates with an opening 12 provided in the 3 insulated wall I3 which wall extends throughout the length of the range in separated relationship to the range front. The front frame of the range appears at 13 and below it is positioned the removable manifold panel 28. Be- 40 tween the manifold panel 20 and the insulated division plate I3 there is formed at the front edge of the range a chamber 14 within which is positioned the fuel or gas delivery pipe I2 which supplies gas through suitable valves 22 to the mixing bells 23 and 23a of the two burners.

Valve operating handles 2I are provided exteriorly of the stove for the control and manipulation of these valves. Air can pass into the chamber 14 around the valve handles and also through openings 69 in the end walls of the chamber.

The stove top is of solid form. This top comprises a front frame member 9 which extends across the front edge of the stove and outwardly in front of the stove to terminate in a depending flange 15. The gas supply pipe I2 is supported in proper position within the manifold housing 14 by a series of brackets Ilwhich have enlarged portions 16 secured to the inner` side of the stove frame 13 and have arm por- 00 tions 11 projecting through and beyond the frame so that the depending flange 15 of the cooking top portion 9 may be'bolted to these bracket aims 11 and can thus be secured in place from its under side without the necessity of unsightly bolt heads on the upper face of the stove front.

'I'he stove top member 9 extends entirely over the manifold housing and has at its inner edge a shoulder 5I which supports'the front edge of the stove .top plate 8. This plate 8 extends to the side edges of the stove and is supported upon angle irons 18, as clearly appears in Figure 2 of the drawings. The stove plate 8 is centraily provided with a circular Opening which The rear of the cooking top is composed of a plate I0 provided with a shoulder 80 for supporting the rear edge of the plate 8. By rei'- erence to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings it will be seen that all of the plates 1, 8, 9, I0, and 25- making up the cooking top are arranged in the same horizontal plane so that their upper surfaces present a smooth even surface upon which utensils and the like can be moved about.

An outletiiue for the combustion chamber is supported upon the `rear `edge of the cooking top plate Ill 4and the products of combustion from the chamber I4 pass through the openings 8| in the rear .wall 82 olf the chamber Il into the iiue collection box I9 which at its upper end communicateswith the ilue pipe 85, as is clearly illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings. In this same figure of the drawings it will be seen that the products of combustion from the oven 85 pass through the opening 83 into the ilue channel 84 which at its rear end communicates with the flue box I9 at a point below the flue defiector plate I8 and can, like the products of combustion from the cooking top, escape upwardly through the opening |08 into the fiile pipe 85.

The combustion chamber I4 is defined by the side walls 21 of the range the rear wall 82 and the rear insulated wall I3 of the manifold chamber. In its bottom and resting upon the chamber bottom 8 refractory material I1 is placed to lend greater eiiiciency to the heating of the solid cooking top plates. This refractory material will of course act as a heat radiant.- To protect the burners from boil-overs which run or seep downwardly between the joints of the cooking` top plates a series of burner trays 5, 26, and 86 are provided. The tray 86 is the center tray and is of circular form and cup-like in cross section. This tray is providedwith shouldered wings 81 which engage the burner 3 and support the tray in place. Centrally the tray is provided with an opening 88 for the passage of the pilot light l.

'I'he tray 25 is of ring form and i'llls the space between the inner burner 3 and the outer burner 3a. -This tray is approximately a U-shaped in' cross section and is provided with wings 26a, and 2Gb which engage the burners 3a and 3 respectively for supporting the tray in proper operative position. The wall 89 of this tray is flared outwardly to extend over and protect the.

supporting means for this tray. `At its under side this tray is provided with a skirt 93 which is of circular formation so as to completely encircle and extend below the circular concentrition chamber above the burners and their trays. K

From the description given of the burner trays it will be seen that they are of a shape to form a plurality of troughs which will catch and retain any boil-overs and that due to the manner in which they are supported they can be quickly l and'easilyremoved for cleaning. it being under-. -l5 stood that they are lifted upwardly off the Aburn- .ers afterA rst removing the removable plates vci'institutirig the stove cooking top.

" Inl a range of the type herein illustrated and Y described cooks desire a hot spot on the solid v cooking top and then graduated temperatures for fast and slow cooking. The plate 25 of the'top 'f constitutes the hot spot as it is immediately above the burner and the temperature here will approximate when the burner is full on, 1100. The temperature on the rest of the cooking top will graduate radially to approximately 500 at the edges of the cooking top.

'From the foregoing it will be seen that the cooking top temperature is not uniform on all parts of the top but nevertheless the construction is such that heat distribution is uniformly graduated to all parts of the cooking top.v This is accomplished by providing on the under sides of the cooking top plates 1, 8, and 25 a plurality of downwardly extending webs which on the plate 8 are designated at 52;'on the plate 1 at 52a and on the plate 25 at 25h. The position and cooperative relationship of these webs clearly appears in Figure 4 of the drawings from which it will be seen that the webs serve to form channelways which radiate outwardly from the center of the center cooking top plate 25. 'I'hese webs also increase the heat absorption area of the'cooking top and serve to strengthen the top and prevent any possibility of its warping even though the top plates be made of a light weight of material. 'I'hus the top can be made comparatively thin which is of material importance in economy of operation and in obtaining faster cooking upon the top. As a matter of fact it has been found that said cooking top will have adequate strength if the top is composed of an alloy consisting of gray iron with one to three percent chrome and f nickel.

1t is to be noted that the apron portion 92 serves not only to catch boil-overs and direct them into the trough portion 5-of the panagor tray, but that additionauy this portion 92 of the pan or tray is suflciently close to the lower edges of the ns to act almost as a bottom throughout a portion of the length of the fins to thus form more definite heat conducting passageways between the ns. Furthermore, this flared portion 92 acts to reflect'the heat from the solid top into these heat passageways and,

additionally, acts to deflect into these heat passageways heated air and products of combustion which are deected downwardly and outwardly from the center portion of the under side of the solid cooking top at which point the flame of the burners have'direct impingement.

By reason of the intake of secondary air through the gas manifold chamber 14 the gas cocks are kept cool and thus protected from damage by excessive heat. This constant movement is s vrsiipplyi'manifold, the gas valves and the mixing tubes are concealed' from view yet at the same time areeasily accessible by the mere removal of the manifoltlj` front plate 20. By providing a sepaof air through the manifold chamber keeps the temperature down and overcomes to a great degree the possibility of the valve sticking, which will happen if valves are subjected to excessive temperatures.

Additionally the secondary air flue I5 serves as a housing for the mixing tubes and air mixers and serves to conceal these parts from view when the rangep'lates are removed and also protects these parts from dirt or grease which might pass downwardly, through the cooking top into the combustion chamber.

ITheinsulated wan la is provided to further ctv the, gas valves from the excessive temlires prevalent in the combustion chamber therange is in operation. I'he arrangement ch-that from the front of the range the gas rate anddistinct housing` chamber for the gas supply manifold and the gas valves these parts are notv only concealed from view and protected from excessive temperatures but they are also protected'from grease, dirt or the like such as might pass vdownwardly through the cooking top. The overhanging front edge plate 9 of the cooking top serves to protect the gas cock handles 2| and overcomes anyvpossibility of grease dripping on to them.

The' burner trays which iill the spaces between the concentric burners and the space between the burners and the walls making up the chamber are so arranged and constructed as to-direct the secondary air which enters the burner chamber through the opening 1|, to the flame ports of the burners and assure the proper air distribution for proper combustion. The openings 33 in thev burner tray 5 provide what additional airis necessary to the upper portion of the combustion chamber to assure complete combustion of all gases.

By providing the secondary air in the manner hereinbefore. described and illustrated in the drawings it will be immediately apparent that secondary air in adequate amounts is always assured as the secondary air inlet can not be clogged by dirt or any other foreign substance such as food or the like as would be the case were the secondary air inlets provided in the combustion chamber bottom 6 and not protected, as is the conventional manner of ,delivering secondary air to ranges having solid cooking tops.

The partition li8 in the ilue collection box i9 prevents interference of the ue systems of the cooking`topchamberand"the oven and holes I0i in the bottom of the flue collector box prevent down drafts into the flue system of the range.

It should be understood that although two concentrically arranged ring burners are illustrated a single burner or more than two burners could be used without departing from the spirit of the invention and that the burners need not necessarily be of circular ring type but could be of other shapes and still operate efliciently to accomplish the desired result. I

It is to be further understood that although the trays for catching boil-overs or spill-overs are illustrated as being supported for the most part upon the burners themselves these trays could be moved upwardly and supported from lthe cooking top plates or could be formed as a. part of those plates at their under sides. As a matter of fact the shoulders 5l. 53, and 19 of these plates could themselves be provided with grooves or troughs so as to act as retainers for preventing boil-overs from reaching the burner or the burner chamber.

' Figures 6 and 7 illustrate a modified form of the invention and the main constructional difference of this form of the invention over the preferred form is the elimination of the boil-over catch trays which are adjacent the burners in the preferred form.

In the present form of the invention inasmuch as the construction with the above difference is exactly similar, like parts are given similar reference numerals, thus the cooking top plates carry the same designating numerals I3, 8, 1 and 25 and the extreme,rear edge top portion of the cooking top the numeral I0. As in the preferred form a pair of concentric burners 3 and 3a are provided within the combustion chamber and the under sides of the cooking top plates are provided with the same downwardly extending ribs or flns 52, 53, and 52h. l

In this present modified form of the invention the boil-overs are caught by trough-like members H0, III, H2, and H3 which troughs additionally support the removable cooking top plate sections.

By providing these troughs for catching the boil-overs the b urner boil-over catch trays can'be eliminatedand yet at the same time the burners can be protected from boil-overs and foreign substances as can the combustion chamber.

It is not thought that this modified form of the invention is quite as desirable as the preferred form' of the invention due to the fact that if the boil-over constituted greasy matter it might take some time for it to burn out of these -troughs and this of course would make considerable smoke and possibly cause a disagreeable odor in the kitchen, whereas in the preferred form any fumes or smoke would be carried off through the outlet iiue pipe. l

Nevertheless the modified form of the invention does provide adequate means for catching boilovers and foreign substances and prevent them from reaching the combustion chamber or being deposited upon the burners with the possibility of clogging up the burner por'ts. Furthermore the construction is such that it is extremely simple and is possibly cheaper of manufacture than the preferred form of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a gas stove, a combustion chamber and a solid cover therefor, a burner chamber approximately centrally located within said combustion chamber and having an open upper end terminating short of the under side of said cover, a burner in said burner chamber, an air conduit having one end in communication with the atmosphere and its opposite end with said burner chamber, a multi-piece cap for said burner chamber and the space between said cap portions providing openings to permit the passage of names burned at said burner, said cap having a peripheral portion flared outwardly andupwardly from the upper ends of the walls defining said burner chamber, said cover at its under side provided with downwardly extending fins radially disposed in respect to said burner chamber and extending from a point centrally above said burner chamber to points adjacent the periphery of said top to provide a plurality of heat conducting passageways, said flared portion ofthe said burner vcap throughouta portion of the lengths of said passageways acting to' refiectand deflect heated air and prod- 75 ucts of 'combustion into said passageways, a gas to points adjacent the periphery of said cooking top to provide a plurality of heat conducting passageways, said flared portion of said burner cap throughout a portion of the lengths of said passageways acting to refiect and deflect heated air and products of combustion into said passageways, and a flue outlet for said combustion cham'- ber. y v

3. In a gas stove a combustion chamber and a solid cooking'top therefor, a burner chamber approximatelycentrally located within said com-4 bustion chamber-and having an open upper end terminating short of the under side of said cooking top, a burner in said burner chamber, a cap for said burner and provided with openings to permit the passage of flames burned at the burner, said cap having a portion fiared outwardly .and -upwardly from the upper ends of the walls defining said burner chamber, said top,at its under side provided with downwardly extending fins radiallydisposed in respect to said burner chamy ber and extending from a point approximately centrally above lsaid burner chamber to points adjacent the periphery of said cooking top to provide a plurality of heat conducting passageways,

said flared portion of said burner cap through-f out a portion of the lengths of said passageways acting to reflect and deflect heated'air and products of combustion into said passageways, and a flue outlet for said combustion chamber.

4. In a gas stove, a closed combustion chamber having a solid cooking top, a burner chamber approximately centrally located within said com bustion chamber and having an open end' terminating short of the under side of said cooking top, a burner composed of a plurality of concentrically arranged burner arms in said burner chamber, a secondary air conduit having one end vin communication with the atmosphere and its other end with said burner chamber at a point beneathv said burners, a cap for said burner chamber, said cap composed of a plurality of concentrically arranged troughs disposed in the spaces between the burner arms and the space between the burner arms and the walls defining said burner chamber, the spaces between the troughs of said cap providing a passageway for the fiames burned at the burner and for the passage of secondary air past the burner and into the combustion chamber thereabove, said cap having a portion iiared upwardly and outwardly from vthe upper ends of the walls defining said burner chamber, said top at its under side provided with downwardly extending i'lns radially disposed in respect to said burnerl chamber and extending from a point approximately centrally thereabove to points adjacent the periphery of said top to provide a plurality of heat conducting passageways, said flared portion of said burner cap throughout Ia portion of the lengths of said passageways acting to reiiect and deflect heated air and prodao'iaioe ucts of combustion into said passageways, and a flue outlet for said combustionchamber.

5. A construction such as defined in claimd, wherein the cap trough positioned in the space between the outer-most burner arm and the walls defining the burner chamber is provided with openings to permit a limited amount of secondary air to pass upwardly into the combustion chamber without passing immediately adjacent the flames burned at the burner orices of the burner arms.

6. In a gas stove, a housing having bottom, side walls and a solid cooking top forming a combustion chamber, a vertically disposed wall extending from said bottom towards and terminating short of the under side of said top and approximately centrally disposed within the combustion chamber and forming a burner chamber, a multiarm burner within said burner chamber, a secondary air inlet communicating with said burner chamber at a point beneath said burner, a cap for the upper end of said burner chamber and said burner and provided with openings for the passage of flames burned at the burner arms and the passage of secondary air past the burner and in the combustion chamber thereabove, said cap having a portion ared upwardly'and outwardly from the upper ends of the walls dening said burner chamber and `acting to reflect and deflect heated air and products of combustion against the under side of said Acooking top, and a flue outlet for said combustion chamber.

'7. 1n a gas stove a burner chamber having a solid cooking top, said top made up of an outer frame, a removable ring-like plate and a removable circular plate, said rng-like plate and circular plate being approximately centrally positioned above the combustion chamber, a burner centrally located within the combustion chamber and composed of a pair of concentrlcally arranged circular burner arms, one of said burner arms being positioned beneath the ring-like plate of the cooking top and the other arm beneath the circular plate of the cooking top, a cap for said burner and provided with openings for the passage of the flames burned at the burner arms, and said cap between its openings provided with circular trough-shaped portions which are disposed beneath the joints between the ring plate of the cooking top and the outer frame thereof and the Joint between the circular plate of the cooking top and the ring plate thereof, whereby said troughs protect said burners and collect boilovers or foreign matter spilled upon the cooking top and which pass downwardly through the aforementioned joints.

WILLIAM H. FRICK. 

